Manchester United Midfielder Nemanja Matic Reveals Extra Motivation for Chelsea Victory

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matić has admitted his time at Chelsea gave him extra motivation to help his current side beat them 2-1 at the weekend.

Matić played the full 90 minutes in a midfield three against his former club. Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard cancelled out Willian's opener and lifted United back into second following Liverpool's Saturday victory against West Ham.

When asked if he had extra motivation to beat his old club, Matić told the Evening Standard: “Of course. I played for Chelsea for three-and-a-half years [after rejoining them in 2014] and I gave my best to win against them and show my quality again.

“I didn’t have anything to prove to them. I wanted to show my new club that I deserve to wear this Manchester United shirt."

However, Matić was coy when asked why he left Chelsea for Old Trafford last July and reaffirmed his commitment to United.

Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages

“I don’t want to speak about why I left Chelsea," the 29-year-old said. "I will keep that to myself. I’m happy in Manchester and that’s it. Moving to United was good for me. I play for a big club.

“This was a big win and I hope the team will continue like this because every game in this league is a war.”

When asked if his former club could overtake Tottenham to break into the top four, Matić remained tight-lipped but also respectful for his old club, by saying: "I wish Chelsea all the best. I can only say that."